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April 28, 2008

GTA DAY TODAY - "GRAND THEFT AUTO IV" VIDGAME HITS SHELVES AT 12AM WITH CUTTING EDGE GRAPHICS AND HIGH EXPECTATIONS

by Bruce Braunstein, Writer, TheLAReport.com

Here are the official Grand Theft Auto IV Midnight Store Opening Locations in the greater Los Angeles area (note: Best Buy website says locations are subject to change; check with your store for full details):

Atwater Village Map
Rancho Cucamonga Map
San Bernardino Map
Sherman Oaks Map
West Hollywood Map
West Los Angeles Map
Westminster Map
Woodland Hills Map

Best Buy promises "Grand Theft Auto-related giveaways, but quantities will be limited." Which means going early is a good strategy (and will help you snag a parking space, too). Another Best Buy tidbit of potential interest to gamers or their parents -- the website Kotaku.com reports the following deal:

Buy GTA IV along [with] any version of the Xbox 360, and get a $50 gift card as a sweet bonus. If you've been one of those woulda, coulda, shoulda gamers still holding out on this generation of systems, it's probably not a bad time to make the leap.

We at The LA Report have to agree. Finally, the great gamer/tech site Joystiq.com reports that the videogame chain Gamestop "released a mega-PDF of every store (in the States) opening at midnight for the Grand Theft Auto IV launch." So now you have some choices for your Midnight Madness Mania Mayhem; you can buy GTA IV as the clock strikes 12 am Monday night (Tuesday morning) at Best Buy... Gamestop... and, of course, some 24-hour Walmarts.

RESTAURANT RECOMMENDATIONS BY LA NOVELIST STEVE ERICKSON (FROM INTERVIEW ON LA TIMES "JACKET COPY" BLOG)

Carolyn Kellogg (Lead Blogger for "Jacket Copy" -- a Los Angeles Times blog focusing on book news and information) asked novelist Steve Erickson (head of the writing program at CalArts and a native of Los Angeles) for his thoughts on good places to eat lunch in LA. His recommendations:

Musso & Frank [Grill] is a great place to lunch because it's Old Hollywood and you can get a martini and steak and think about all the writers from Fitzgerald to Chandler who used to get sloshed there. Haven't been in a long time, but Yuca's out in Silver Lake used to serve the best pork tacos in the city and I'm assuming that hasn't changed. I like the Border Grill in Santa Monica because they're the only people in L.A. who make a better margarita than I do ... and Serenata across the street has even better food for those who are actually into the eating thing. Actually, for those who are actually into the eating thing, there's also Angelini on Beverly Boulevard. If you go with Michael Silverblatt, they have a table in the corner for him, the way Ma Maison used to for Orson Welles.

These eatery suggestions came at the end of Kellogg's interview with Erickson; to read the entire exchange, please go to: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2008/04/festival-of-b-2.html.

April 26, 2008

BOOK PRIZES, ANNUAL KICKOFF FOR LA TIMES FESTIVAL OF BOOKS, BRINGS TOP LITERATI TO UCLA'S ROYCE HALL, HONORING BEST 2007 BOOKS WITH AWARD SHOW & PARTY

Event Report by Don Rose

If you have never attended the LA Times Book Prizes awards show and afterparty, you really owe it to yourself to get a ticket, starting with next year. It is simply a great event, one of The LA Report's Top Ten of the year. Why? Because, as Patt Morrison told me at the gala reception after the awards, it is like the high school reunion you always wish you had, with all the smartest coolest people in one place. I agree! By the way, it was a delight meeting Ms. Morrison, who wore one of her beautiful signature hats, and is just as sweet and charming in person as she is on the radio show she hosts on KPCC FM; Patt said she is bringing her show to the GOP convention in Minnesota and hopes to get author/comedian and Minnesotan Al Franken to appear on the Comedy Congress segment of her show.

I also talked with the Book Prize winner in the Science and Technology category, Douglas Hofstadter, who won for his book "I Am a Strange Loop." Hofstadter was only 35 when he received the Pulitzer Prize in 1980 for his most famous work -- "Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid" -- and I couldn't resist asking the professor and author what inspired him to write that book almost 30 years ago. He took several silent seconds to mull over his answer, then explained that it began when he was thinking about Godel and his theories regarding incompleteness in mathematics as he drove across the country. When he got to Colorado, he sat down to write a letter to someone to talk about all these ideas brewing in his mind. The letter became 30 pages. The rest is history. (I told him that his story is similar to one told by Tom Wolfe, who had severe writers block on his first writing assignment and so wrote to his editor to tell him why he could not write the story, including his notes in the process. The editor published that letter, with only minor edits!)

Moral of the story: even if you think you can't write, write anyway. Then write some more. You might be surprised at what comes out. It might even be brilliant. And a good way to get started is to write a real (or imagined) letter to someone. A letter feels so informal and low pressure, and hence is a great way to shut off the inner critic and let the pure ideas flow.

A final note about the Book Prizes afterparty: this year it again featured open bar and simply amazing food, ranging from sushi to ribs to eggrolls, farfalle pasta, rice, salads, a dessert bar and much more. In short, the annual Book Prizes is a feast for the mind as well as the palate, and I highly recommend you attend next year if you have a love for the written word and writers.

And now, a final summary of this weekend's Festival of Books:

Who: The 13th Annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books (latimesfestivalofbooks.com) - one of the nation’s premier public literary festivals created to promote literacy and unite those who create books with the people who love to read them.

What: The Festival of Books is the largest of its kind on the west coast, comprised of more than 100 author panels, readings, writing seminars and discussion sessions, along with six outdoor stages including The Target Children’s Stage and more than 60 children’s oriented exhibitors. Debuting at this year’s festival is “The Comix Strip,” an entirely new comic book, graphic novel and Manga-devoted event area offering attendees access to the genres’ exhibitors, retailers and newest issues.

When: Saturday, April 26th, 2008 10am – 6pm
Sunday, April 27th, 2008 10am – 5pm

Where: UCLA Main Campus
http://www.ucla.edu/map/

Admission: Admission to the festival and the panel discussions are free, tickets must be purchased to attend the writing seminars and The Book Prizes.
http://www.latimes.com/extras/festivalofbooks/ticketing.html

Parking: Parking on the UCLA campus is $8.
http://www.latimes.com/extras/festivalofbooks/directions.html

More event information, including a complete list of authors is available at
http://www.latimes.com/extras/festivalofbooks/
Information is also available by calling 1-800-LA TIMES, ext. 7BOOK.

April 25, 2008

APR.25-27: LOS ANGELES TIMES FESTIVAL OF BOOKS RETURNS TO UCLA; OVER 140,000 BOOK LOVERS EXPECTED FOR CELEB SIGNINGS/READINGS, 300+ EXHIBITORS & MORE

Annual LA Times Book Prizes Kickoff the Grand LA Book Festival on Friday, April 25

posted by Don Rose

This weekend, the 13th Annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books returns to UCLA, the festival with the distinction of being the country’s largest celebration of the written word. For one weekend at the end of every April, people who love books gather with people who love to write, publish and sell books. There’s nothing like it anywhere.

Some numbers for you: 140,000 attendees! 450+ authors! 300+ exhibitors! 100+ author panels! 6 outdoor stages! 2 children’s areas! (This year, there is also a new feature, the Comix Zone, for people who love comic books and graphic novels.)

For even more literary fun and surprises, you can kick things off on Friday, April 25 for the 28th Annual Los Angeles Times Book Prizes. This special evening will honor some of the finest books of 2007 and their writers, and kicks off the Festival of Books on Friday, April 25. The 28th annual presentation of the Book Prizes will carry forward a tradition that has honored A. Scott Berg, Ray Bradbury, Robert Caro, Joan Didion, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Gabriel García Márquez, Allen Ginsberg, Mark Haddon, Anthony Hecht, Seymour Hersh, Tony Hillerman, Christopher Isherwood, Ken Kesey, Milan Kundera, Ursula Le Guin, Doris Lessing, Robert Littell, Frank McCourt, David McCullough, Ian McEwan, Larry McMurtry, Tillie Olsen, Walker Percy, Ishmael Reed, Carl Sagan and W.G. Sebald, among many other authors. Click here to visit the Book Prizes web site.

Don’t miss the next exciting chapters of two extraordinary 2008 literary events — the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books and the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes. Book Prizes: Friday April 25 at Royce Hall, 8pm. Festival: Saturday, April 26 • 10 am to 6 pm, Sunday, April 27 • 10 am to 5 pm, on UCLA's Main Campus. Admission to the Festival of Books is free. Parking is $8. Free shuttles to/from the festival from Lot 32 and 36; shuttle pickup near the intersection of Veteran and Kinross, just North of Wilshire Blvd.

April 21, 2008

APR.23-27: LOS ANGELES ANTIQUES SHOW RETURNS, ADDING EXHIBITORS, INSTALLATIONS; RENEWS P.S. ARTS CHARITY PARTNERSHIP, WELCOMES SPONSOR MERCEDES-BENZ

13th Annual Showcase Will Be Held On April 24-27, 2008 in Santa Monica, with Preview Party April 23rd

posted by Don Rose

Presented by the Antique Dealers Association of California (ADAC), The Los Angeles Antiques Show 2008 will return to the LA area for a 13th year with a newly defined aesthetic. The ADAC, designers Waldo Fernandez and Joe Nye, and the Show’s chair and Obsolete gallery owner Ray Azoulay have worked together to achieve significant changes. The Antiques Show has joined hands once again with charity partner P.S. ARTS and welcomes Title Sponsor Mercedes-Benz USA to celebrate this year’s Opening Night Preview Party.

The Opening Night Preview Party on the evening of April 23, 2008 will be the first buying opportunity and kick off the weekend longevent with extraordinary designer installations, crossing vocabularies of collecting and decorating, a stellar Mercedes-Benz USA installation, lecture series, book signings, tours for families, champagne brunch, and ultimately the masterful presentation of 65 of the premier antique and fine art dealers from the United States and Europe.

The extraordinary entranceway will set the tone for this year's Los Angeles Antiques Show. The first installation will showcase Mercedes-Benz USA vehicles “from then to now”, leading into an “interior designer installation” space featuring the work of Windsor Smith and Joe Nye -- and finally, before entering the show, guests will experience the 40 foot antique-filled movie trailer designed by hip young designer Jane Hallworth. Guests will be able to enjoy this remarkable three fold entrance and also frequent it over the weekend since this is where lectures, booksignings and champagne toasts will take place before entering the Antiques Show each day.

The Los Angeles Antiques Show is a widely anticipated annual event featuring 65 premier antique and fine art dealers from the United States and Europe, including first time exhibitors, Bonni Benrubi Gallery, NY, Amy Perlin Antiques, NY, Geoffrey Diner, DC, Suzanne Rheinstein of Hollyhock, CA, Polyedre Antiques, Belgium, and some of our returning exhibitors such as Kentshire, NY, Daniel Stein, CA, Greg Nanamura, NY, and Il Segno del Tempo, Italy. All 65 exhibitors represent various furniture, decorative arts, photography, and paintings from antiquity through the 20th century. Each piece in this international show is authenticated through a vetting process by accomplished and experienced experts in their respective fields.

The four day event is attended by leading design professionals such as Michael Smith, Kelly Wearstler, Joe Nye, Craig Wright, Karin Blake, Rose Tarlow, Waldo Fernandez, Windsor Smith, Kathryn Ireland, Laurie Ghilimetti, Douglas Durkin, Jane Hallworth, Erin Ferucci, Barclay Butera, Thomas Beeton, Jay Holman,Kerry Joyce, Ron Radziner, Leo Marmol, Steven Shortridge, important collectors, Victoria Jackson, Blaine Halvorson, Kristin Smith, Brett Hoffer, Joel Silver, Mollie and Richard Mulligan, Peter Markman, Brittany Lovett, and celebrities such as Barbra Streisand, Blythe Danner, Molly Sims, Rita Wilson, Steven Spielberg, Penny Marshall, and at least one notable political guest -- California Govenor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Renowned event-designers Caskey-Lees produce the four day event, which presents the exhibitors with professionalism and style at Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Air Center. The Opening Night Preview Party is produced by Carleen Cappelletti of Best Events.

On behalf of the Antiques Dealer Association of California, Ray Azoulay states, “We have continued to evolve the show and its components to reflect the dynamic creative community we serve in Los Angeles. Our goal is to continue to inspire, enhance and create excitement by having exhibitors who present the very best of their respective vocabularies in unique and creative settings. This year in particular we are also expanding our efforts to have visitors return over the course of the weekend and experience the comprehensive and exciting event schedule. We are especially honored to continue our charity partnership with P.S. ARTS and are equally excited by having Mercedes-Benz USA as the Title Sponsor for the Opening Night Preview Party. We all have recognized the important mission of restoring art education in our public school system, and supporting the continued work of P.S. ARTS in educating and supporting our future artists.” PS ARTS Chairperson Maria Bell states, “We are honored to be the beneficiary of the Los Angeles Antiques Show’s Opening Night Preview Party yet again this year. By partnering with ADAC to celebrate art from our past, P.S. ARTS is able to uphold its mission of restoring arts education to students in public schools.”

The Opening Night Preview Party will kickoff this year’s event. Benefiting partner P.S. ARTS, the Preview Party will bring together more than 1,000 of the community’s most influential individuals. With the help of Title Sponsor Mercedes-Benz USA , the Preview Party will honor elite members of the art, design, architecture and entertainment worlds. The Antique Dealers Association of California, founded in 1924, is a group of knowledgeable dealers pledged to integrity and fair dealing in the buying and selling of antiques. Members are experts in their individual fields with inventories ranging from 17th century baroque to Americana , from 18th century ceramics to fine rugs and textiles, from fine art to Asian antiquities to 20th century photography and design.

P.S. ARTS is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to restoring arts education programs to public elementary and middle schools in disadvantaged areas, predominately serving children who live at or below the national poverty level. P.S. ARTS, which was originally founded by Paul Cummins as an outreach project of the Crossroads Community Foundation, provides comprehensive, skills based, and sequential classes in visual arts, music, theater and dance to nearly 12,000 students in Los Angeles County and California’s Central Valley. P.S. ARTS also offers arts-related workshops for classroom teachers, integrating creative expression and arts into the core curriculum. Recognized by local, county and state agencies as an outstanding arts provider, P.S. ARTS now serves as a national model, advocating arts for all students. P.S. ARTS strives to raise more money to provide even more children with access to the arts.

Los Angeles Antiques Show. Opening Night Preview Party at Barker Hangar inside the Santa Monica Air Center on Wednesday, April 23, 2008. The Collectors’ Preview will be held from 5:00 pm – 7:00pm and the Preview Party will be held from 7:00pm – 10:00pm. (See below for ticket prices.) The public portion of the LA Antiques Show also takes place at Barker Hangar; hours: 11:00 am to 8:00 pm on Thursday, 4/24, Friday, 4/25 and Saturday, 4/26. Show hours on Sunday, 4/27: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Ticket prices 4/24--4/27: $15 for daily admittance, which includes catalog. For more information about the LA Antiques Show, please visit www.psartsantiques.com, call 310.455.2886 or contact BWR Public Relations.

Ticket prices for the Opening Night Preview Party April 23rd are as follows:
Collectors' Preview* 5pm – 7pm:
$500.00
1 Ticket - $750.00 2 Tickets - $3750.00 10 Tickets.
Preview Party 7pm – 10pm:
$150.00 1 Ticket - $250.00 2 Tickets - $1250.00 10 Tickets.

For more info call: 310.559.9334.
(*Collectors’ Preview Tickets include Tickets to the Preview Party.)
The link to buy Preview Party tickets is:
http://www.psartsantiques.com/tickets/index.html

April 20, 2008

LA AREA REAL ESTATE, 30 TO 50 PERCENT OFF! BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE! (IF YOU WAIT...)

commentary by Don Rose

Bottom line is the bottom line is dropping on Los Angeles housing prices, and fast. (Our reasoned opinion, based on anecdotal reading plus scanned data, is that waiting will bring even more examples of price plummeting, perhaps at even greater savings. In short, be patient.) Just look at three deep-price-cut examples found online:

Exhibit A: Pasadena, 29 percent off!

FORECLOSED: PASADENA
1856 Belmont Ave., Pasadena 91103.
Agent's description: Bank owned. Listing agent: Leo Nordine Realtors.
... recently enlarged and completely rebuilt with permits ... cherry cabinets, spot lighting, formal dining, raised foundation ... Quiet street... one minute to Brookside Golf Course.• Sales history (from PropertyShark.com):
Sold for $685,000 in July 2006
Current listing price: $484,900
Discount from sales price: 29.2%

Source: http://www.latimes.com/classified/realestate/la-re-foreclosed17apr17.pg,0,486688.photogallery

Exhibit B: Glassell Park, 45 percent off!

2117 W. Avenue 33, Los Angeles 90065.
Built in 1922, three bedrooms, one bath, 978 square feet on a 2,500-square foot lot.
Agent's description: "Bank owned ... House sits high above street level ... Nice quiet Glassell Park street. Raised foundation, hardwood floors."

Prior peak sales price: Sold for $510,000 in February 2007.
Current listing price: $279,900.
Discount from peak sales price: 45.1%


(Source: Peter Viles' "L.A. Land" blog for the LA Times:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/laland/2008/04/the-foreclosure.html)

Exhibit C: Silver Lake, 52 percent off!

A commenter to the blog post in Exhibit B shares yet another example:
"1822 Lucille Ave, Silverlake, 90026
Built in 1924, two bedrooms, one bath, 988 square feet on a 2614-square foot lot.
Prior peak sales price (zillow.com): Sold for $800,000 in Oct. 2005.
Current listing price: $379,900.
Discount from peak sales price: 52.5%."


Another blog-commenter had this prediction: "Low $200K to High $100k for median house prices in LA (maybe even lower by end of the year)".

Anecdotal? Yes. Scientific? No.

But the trend seems clear: Have no fear, Affordable prices are near (with some already here).

April 18, 2008

APR.18: BOULEVARD 3 SPECIAL EVENT, "PILLAGE THE VILLAGE"; PORTION OF PROCEEDS TO CHARITY

A Special Event at Boulevard 3 Nightclub, Friday, April 18th.
PRESS CHECK IN: 8:45 PM RED CARPET Begins: 9:00 PM

Tavik, Showtime Productions, Silver Lion Productions and Elite Global Marketing Agency present TAVIK Pillage the Village in Hollywood. Numerous birthday celebrations this night as well (Spike Tootle, Chris Schneider, Ryan Birtcher). A portion of the proceeds will benefit Dig For Kids Charity. (The LA Report expects this to be quite an event; one MySpace post we came across said this will be a "Massive Party" with "2000 people, ...great music and free drinks!" Note, however, that the party info website said capacity is 1000, so you better arrive early.)

TALENT performing: Jeremy Dawson of Shiny Toy Guns, Hyper Crush and DJ Sanjay.
CELEBS confirmed : Greg Lutska, Ryan Scheckler, Lil Jon and more.
MEDIA: TMZ, Wireimage, Daily Celeb, Perez Hilton, Bliss Magazine and Transworld will be covering the event.

Pillage the Village. Location: BOULEVARD3, 6523 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood CA 90028. Hours: 9:00 PM - 2:00 AM. Info Lines: (310) 972-8964. Ages: 21+ ; BOTTLE SERVICE is strongly recommended. Please contact or e-mail Rebecca@Boulevard3.com ; TICKET INFO: http://www.wantickets.com?e_id=40592 ; for press inquiries, please contact Lisa Jammal (LJAM PR) at 310.994.1723 or lisa@ljampr.com.

APR.22: AL GORE ON OPRAH WINFREY; EARTH DAY SHOW TO DISCUSS ACTIONS NEEDED TO SOLVE CLIMATE CRISIS

On Earth Day 2008 (April 22), Nobel laureate and former Vice President Al Gore will be on the Oprah Winfrey show to talk about actions needed to solve the global warming problem.

We at The LA Report wrote a line he can use in his discussion: "The current melting crisis in the Arctic is just the tip of the iceberg." Tune in to see if he uses it.

But seriously, this is no laughing matter. For more info on an organization whose motto is "We can solve the climate crisis" see: wecansolveit.org

April 17, 2008

APR.17-20: LAUFF, LOS ANGELES UNITED FILM FESTIVAL, SHOWCASES FILMS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS; KICKOFF PARTY APR.17 FEATURES COMEDY & MUSIC (BEV HILLS)

Los Angeles United Film Festival (LAUFF) is where art and creativity come together to create a united film community. LAUFF, running April 18 to 20, showcases films reflecting a wide range of topics and experiences. The festival's focus is to bring together talented filmmakers from diverse backgrounds, thus creating a "United" showcase of creative energy and talent. Information about the featured films, as well as links to tickets, venue info and merchandise, can be found on the official LAUFF website.

The kickoff celebration takes place on the eve of the fest, April 17, featuring comedy, music, open bar and lite fare for only $5 admission. The party is hosted by comic Sal Rodriguez, and there will be a live musical performance by Dirty Country's Larry Pierce, as well as DJ Erick B Good, and "Strictly Background" composer Frank Lenz. Guests can interact with filmmakers, actors, media and other VIPs inside Gibson's excellent showroom space in Beverly Hills.

LAUFF, April 18-20, 2008 (Fri, Sat & Sun) at Fine Arts Theatre - 8556 Wilshire Blvd. - Beverly Hills, CA 90211. Kickoff party April 17 from 7pm to midnight at Gibson Musical Instruments Showroom, 9350 Civic Center Drive, Suite 130, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. More information on the fest and party at launitedfest.com. Special thanks to LAUFF's public relations firm Good Girls PR for their assistance.

April 12, 2008

APR. 19: ALL HAIL ALI AT M+B GALLERY OPENING OF HOWARD BINGHAM'S RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE


Ali! Foreman! Zaire! Be there! Virtually, that is, at the M+B photo gallery on Saturday, April 19 from 7 to 9 pm for the opening reception of HOWARD L. BINGHAM: THE RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE at 612 N. Almont Drive in West Hollywood.

Poignant, knowing, rich with insights and tributes, THE RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE chronicles Muhammad Ali's legendary trip of 1974 to Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) to fight a heavily favored George Foreman in the first world heavyweight boxing championship held on the African continent. Ali's reclamation of the heavyweight title in the fierce and dramatic match stunned critics and sparked joy throughout the world. While the match serves as thematic nucleus, Bingham's photography covers Ali's entire eight-week stay, recounting the event in all its dimensions, including a star-studded musical festival, buzzing paparazzi and impinging politics.

HOWARD L. BINGHAM: THE RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE includes over 60 color and black and white photographs and runs from April 19 - May 31, 2008. More info at the M+B website: mbfala.com

April 5, 2008

APR. 6: PATTIE BOYD PHOTO EXHIBIT PREMIERES, OPENING AT MORRISON HOTEL GALLERY WITH NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN PHOTOS OF GEORGE HARRISON, ERIC CLAPTON AND MORE

Los Angeles Premiere Of Pattie Boyd's Photography At Morrison Hotel Gallery(Tm) Begins April 6th, With Never Before Seen Photos From The Author Of "Wonderful Tonight: George Harrison, Eric Clapton And Me"


WHAT: The Photography Of Pattie Boyd

WHERE: Morrison Hotel Gallery 7517 W. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046

323-874-2068

WHEN: April 6, 2008 - 12 noon to 5 pm

Exhibit continues through April 20, 2008

11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily - Friday Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

ADMISSION: FREE TO THE PUBLIC


Pattie Boyd was a successful Vogue model in the 1960's when she was cast as a schoolgirl in the Beatles film "A Hard Day's Night". Ten days later, George Harrison proposed to her.


Having been married to both George Harrison and Eric Clapton put Boyd in the enviable position of being able to take intimate photographs of some of the world's greatest musicians. Amongst her visual archive are many unique and vintage prints that have never been seen before.


Pattie's passion for photography has developed since that time and, through her membership in the Royal Photographic Society, she has studied the great master photographers of the past as well as printing techniques. She photographs in both black and white and color, and has garnered awards for her work. The Morrison Hotel Gallery is proud to host the Los Angeles premiere of Pattie's fine art music photography. All the photographs on exhibit will be available for purchase.

April 2, 2008

PENCE HATHORN SILVER: GREEN-THEMED REAL ESTATE TEAM ACHIEVES 4TH HIGHEST GROSSING SALES IN NATION FOR COLDWELL BANKER

So Cal real estate team of Pence Hathorn Silver has recently been listed nationally as the 4th highest grossing sales team in the nation for Coldwell Banker, to be announced at the Coldwell Banker International Business Conference being held this year in Orlando, Florida

Charles Pence, John Hathorn, Loraine Silver and Brett Silver, who just made partner, make up this dynamic team of real estate agents. When working with PHS, clients get more than an agent. Pence Hathorn Silver has gone beyond just selling homes. Within the past year, they launched a “green campaign” and, working with developer John Lee, sold Santa Monica’s first 100% luxury eco-friendly home. They’ve been called upon as experts when it comes to buyers and sellers markets, the effects of natural disasters, and good advice in general when it comes time to find the perfect home. Most recently, PHS got the listing for Venice Collaboratives, a project that brings art and architecture together, contributing to the up and coming hip Venice neighborhood.

What’s on the horizon for this special group of agents? Pence Hathorn Silver landed the Idaho Court project. Designer William Jacobsen has transformed an irregularly shaped lot at Idaho and 20th Street into one of Santa Monica’s premier residential projects. You can’t miss these super-cool, modern looking townhouses even when doing a quick driveby.

Construction started from the underground garage, with a parallel course of redesigning the collection of above ground residences. The goal was to design a building that would be more reflective of the Wilson Jacobsen design sensibility, and better integrated into the Santa Monica environs. The project consists of four two-story townhouses, each featuring a street facing orientation and a spacious, modern contemporary feel. The streets are tree-lined and just steps from Franklin Elementary School. The entire construction project was overseen by Quality Built inspectors who focus on compliances with applicable building codes, architectural drawings and manufacturers specifications for the highest known litigation risks. The consultants at Quality Built assist with educating and improving quality -- water intrusion, comfort, safety and durability issues. The price of these stunning town houses start at $1.7 million. PHS only desires the best for their clients.

PHS is used to catering to Southern California’s high end clientele. Those loyal to the Westside leaders in real estate include A-list celebrities as well as Hollywood moguls and the uber wealthy. We all dream big, but Southern Cal is home to many who can afford this type of luxury living. That being said, PHS is currently listing one of the oldest and most historical homes on Georgina Avenue. The totally renovated 1911 home belongs to the daughter of a famous actor, is steps from an amazing ocean view, and was featured in House & Garden. Although this white picket fenced property looks small and quiet amongst others on the street, it’s actually a 26,600 square foot lot, with 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, an updated kitchen, top of the line appliances, 2 bedrooms upstairs, and more. It’s a designer's dream home with old world charm, listed at $7,995,000.

In addition to the above, the PHS team has another green home project currently underway in beautiful Pacific Palisades; stay tuned for more details.

It’s never just another day at the office for Pence Hathorn Silver; they feel it’s about the first day of other people’s lives and providing their clients with the best of the best. For more information about PHS, please see their website at: www.phsrealty.com.